The department offers a B.A. in French, and a B.A. in Spanish, as well as an M.A. in Romance Languages, for which a student must choose either the French Option or the Spanish Option. An undergraduate minor in French or Spanish is also offered. In addition, the department offers courses, but no major or degree program, in Latin, Greek, Italian, and German. Other languages, such as Arabic, Czech, Hebrew, Portuguese, Russian, and Vietnamese, are offered through the University’s Critical Languages Program, a Division of International Education.

Other academic units whose subject areas overlap substantially with those of Foreign Languages include the College of Education and the Department of English.

Languages
In the field of French language and literature, the languages of acquisition are primarily French and English. Important critical works in other European languages will be considered. In the field of Spanish language and literature, the languages of acquisition are primarily Spanish and English. Important critical works in other European languages will be considered. In the other fields in which the department offers courses (Latin, Greek, Italian, German, Chinese and Japanese), the primary language of acquisition is English with materials in the original languages added as needed. Important works of literature in languages other than those taught by this department will be acquired in English translation, for the purposes of the study of comparative literature.

Chronological Guidelines
No limitations in the areas of French or Spanish language and literature. All time periods will be covered for the other languages under consideration but at a lower intensity level.

Geographical Guidelines
All French-speaking and Spanish-speaking countries or regions are areas of primary emphasis.

Treatment of Subject
Materials are collected in the following areas: history and theory of French and Spanish literary criticism, history of Spanish and French literature, French and Spanish civilization and culture, and approaches to the teaching of foreign languages.

Textbooks at the elementary level are not collected. Textbooks at the advanced level are collected on a very selective basis.

Primary texts in Spanish and French are collected, with an emphasis on twentieth-century works of poetry and fiction. Primary texts of other languages taught in the department (Latin, Greek, Italian and German) are generally acquired in translation.

Types of Material
Monographs and serial publications form the basis for Foreign Language acquisitions. Reference materials, including bibliographies, dictionaries, handbooks and encyclopedias are collected. Abstracts and indexes covering modern languages and literatures and related subjects are acquired. Theses and dissertations from other institutions are acquired on a highly selective basis. Textbooks are generally not collected, although anthologies of literature which may be used in courses are collected.

CDs, DVDs, audiocassettes, and videocassettes of are also collected when funds permit.

Publications of national and international organizations, societies and congresses are acquired on a highly selective basis.

Major sets and collections of material that significantly supplement existing resources are acquired when funds permit.

Date of Publication
Current and retrospective materials are collected, with emphasis in most subject areas on materials published within the last five years. Purchases of retrospective materials are made as funds permit.

Other Resources
The principal collections used by the Department of Foreign Languages are housed within the general and reference stacks and the following two areas of the library:

The Louisiana Collection contains works on Cajun-French and Creole culture.
Special Collections contains rare and delicate materials reflecting state and local history, reflecting the influences of the French and Spanish.

Related Policy Statements

• Department of Curriculum and Instruction
  Curriculum and Instruction is responsible for purchasing books on the teaching of foreign languages and for material on bilingual education in general.
• Department of English
  Linguistics is a shared interest of both departments. English is primarily responsible for materials on general linguistics and English philology. Foreign Languages has responsibility for materials on second language acquisition, comparative linguistics, and linguistics of languages other than English.
  The English department's interest in comparative literature is supported in part by the materials acquired by the Foreign Languages department, particularly in the Romance languages.